Next Step?

[Bill W]

I'm making 3 gals of Strawberry wine. The fermentation had slowed down a lot in the last couple of days (2weeks total, primary and seconday) and thought maybe the fermentation was stuck. When I took my hydrometer reading it was clear that its not. I started with 1.080 and now its .990. Just to see if there are any off flavors I risked tasting just a wee bit and its clear that all the alcohol fermented as it has a raw alcohol taste with a little stawberry bitter taste, but no bad tastes. Should I just rack it off into some one gallon containers and let sit to further settle out, airlocked? I know that if I rack it off into a bucket and then clean the carboy and put it back it would have too much headspace. Would filtering it help at this point? Eventually I will need to back sweeten a little as its definitely too dry (but I was expecting that). Help...

 

[Tom]

Your wine is done. Rack it then K-meta and sorbate it. Will you be adding a f-pac? If not you can add clearing agents and backsweeten and age..

 

[BettyJ]

What has been the time line thus far?

Is the wine clearing well? If not, you will need to continue racking and let it age in a bulk container verses bottling at this point (or you will have ugly residue in the bottles). You will need to add either a similar wine or water to top up (so you don't have any head space).

I would hold off on sweetening (additional flavoring - like an F Pac) until it clears also (as this may kick up the fermentation process again). I don't have much experience with de-gassing, but that may need to be done also prior to bottling.

Can't believe I am giving advice (funny) - but others pls chime in

 

[Wade E]

You can rack into into the bucket and wash the carboy and then put it right back in no problem. I would add some sulfite and sorbate and degas at this point now!

 

[Tom]

Bill W, go to UserCP and fill your location in. This can help us suggest places to go. You may be one of our neighbors!

 

[BettyJ]

OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew

 

[Ceegar]

OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew

I started a 3 gal strawberry batch on 7/6 and it's still going. It's been struggling since it hit about 1.050. I just took a hydro reading yesterday and it has finally dropped to 1.000, so it's almost done. I was afraid it was stuck. I'm myself only rely on seeing no airlock activity along with the hydormeter reading before I'm convinced it's done. If I still have bubbles it's not done in my book.

 

[smurfe]

OK - maybe Im not ready to give advice I just usually try to get the wine to clear by itself (and hold off on clearing agents unless I have to). Is the alcohol / fermentation the best way to know your wine is done?

FYI I have 4 5 gallon batches currently that have finished fermentation, but I am letting them sit (and rack every few weeks as needed - I look for sediment on the bottom) until they are clear. I just had a plum wine (I had to separate it into 2 1 gallon containers) one of them just cleared totally - I will be posting pics shortly, but the other one is still a little cloudy. These were stored side by side in the same location ?who kew

Your advice sounds spot on to me. Thats what I would do. I would just let it sit until it clears. Now if after a month or two it hasn't cleared it is time to take some measures. Like Wade said though, if you stabilize and degas it will clear faster. I have a batch of Pinot Grigio from a kit sitting in a carboy right now. It has been there for a couple months. It has been crystal clear for over a month. I am not going to use any fining agents on it at all. I haven't stabilized or degassed it yet. I am making this one old school style just to see how it turns out.

 

[Winot]

Just to see if there are any off flavors I risked tasting just a wee bit and its clear that all the alcohol fermented as it has a raw alcohol taste with a little stawberry bitter taste, but no bad tastes.

Hi Bill,

How is that Strawberry wine going ? Can you keep us updated in regards to that "bitter" aftertaste that you noted at week 2 ? My strawberry wine at 6 months has the same bitter feature, though beautifully clear, nice boquet and pleasant mild strawberry taste (no off smells at all), though 5 seconds after tasteing it I get a lingering bitter note for 4-5 minutes which I am not too happy about. I am hoping that 6 months is a little young for mine and that it is just tannins causing the lingering bitterness that will mellow further over the next 6 months (mind you I think I am particularly sensitive to bitterness). Have back-sweetened mine now, so that may help somewhat. Curious how your's develops.

 

[Tom]

I see you back sweetened. Did you add a f-pac?